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Global Gordon Brown fails to see the rage at home

Gordon Brown has become a global leader. Despite his social awkwardness and tendency to moodiness, he has forged relationships across the world with presidents and prime ministers. Their words of praise for him at the G20 summit surpassed what was required out of courtesy to the host. Clearly they thought his energy had achieved for them all a respectable outcome. The stock markets seemed to agree.

It must be indescribably satisfying for the prime minister. Like his predecessor he has won global recognition, but, unlike Tony Blair, Brown has achieved it without going to war. Indeed, under Brown, British forces have quietly slipped away from Iraq.

Like Blair, Brown uses his position on the world stage to shape his image as a leader at home. A few months back, as he fumbled domestic policy, he did indeed resemble Mr Bean (as in Vince Cable's memorable description); that joke would not